arittel

So this morning at work myself and two of the other ladies in the office went to coffee break. One of them (the family nutrition program assistant) asks me how I'm doing with the band. I replied well right now I'm down 21lbs since pre-op diet (Sept 29th) and 35 lbs all together. I said, I get a fill on November 23rd, so that will add restriction as I have no Fluid in my band right now. I was having a few pretzels (I know probably not the best choice but that's what I had). Then I went to take a bite of my little pretzel stick thing and she smacked my hand that held the pretzel (literally 3 inches from my face) and said "well then you shouldn't be having that!" Excuse me broad, you are NOT the one living with this band, you are NOT the one who went through the pre-op diet, all the testing, the surgery, the dehydration, and besides that if I want a bite of a damn pretzel I'm going to have it! I could NOT believe she did that. I was literally so dumbfounded I couldn't even reply. I just ate my pretzels chewing very LOUDLY to annoy her! Sorry just needed to vent.

Thank you, I am now LMAO! @ work, luckily she's not around so I don't have to share what I'm laughing about

Seriously you guys.....IT'S FINE! I live in a very small town in the middle of no where, our office consists of 5 people total. We don't have such a thing as an HR department. If we did, I wouldn't go there anyway. "She smacked my hand" (which I said) and "STRUCK" (which someone else used this word)are 2 totally different things. If she had hauled off and decked me, or backhanded me across the face I'd of hauled off and decked her back. If you've ever watched NCIS, it was like how Agent Gibbs gives his Agent Tony a brain duster up side the head....only this was my hand. I am NOT mad, nor HURT. There will be NO supervisors involved, there will be no MACE, she would NEVER treat her clients like this and there is no work place bullying. So well I appreciate you all looking out for my best interest--trust me I'm a big girl (no pun intended) and can take care of it myself. I have have fire and ice in my blood. I can ride 4-wheelers, be the hostess with the mostess, throw left hooks, and play softball with the boys, all the while making tater tot hotdish. And if I have an opinion, I'm very open to sharing it. I have buried a child, I am raising twin daughters, work full time and have 3 part time jobs. Her little action to get some attention will not hinder my day in any way shape or form. I was just astonished by her reaction to me having a pretzel and thought I would share. I will NOT alter what I choose to eat, I will NOT change my life in any way shape or form to comply with HER beliefs.

I'm not a person who is afraid of confrintations by any means. I was just so awe-struck that I couldn't think of anything fast enough. If it comes up or happens again you can bet your butt I will be saying something. I have no desire to address her in private. She had the guts to do this in the breakroom -in front of others, I promise that I will address it (if it happens again) in front of everyone. I may use the power of attorney of my body line I know and realize that this is just in her nature because it is what she does for a living (telling people what to eat). I honestly believe that she is just comfortable with me (we are all very close co-workers) that she did that without thinking. All of my co-workers know about my band. I had to tell them because I missed so much work when I was supposed to return. I had to be admitted to the hospital 3 times for dehydration. I have no problem with them knowing. As a matter of fact I'm very proud of myself for having the guts to go through with this life-altering process so I enjoy talking about it and explaining my experiences. On a side note I do work for the county (which is in charge of the jail system here in town) and I've never been in trouble before so I'm sure they would let me out on a Personal Recognizance (PR) bond if a simple assult was to happen. LMAO!!

So the only reason I'm posting this is because I have to tell someone and who better than strangers. Right? I'm an EMT for a very rural ambulance service and this morning we received a call. So I threw on the same size 20 jeans I've been wearing for a couple years when we get a call. Grabbed my gear and ran out of the house. Mind you I've only lost about 23lbs including the pre-op diet. On the way to my vehicle my jeans literally fell off. I knew they were getting a little loose but I wouldve ran right out of them if I hadn't had shoes on. Thank god no one was around, the neighbors would have had a very eye opening moment. Haha. I just pulled them back up and was very cautious of my jeans while on the call. Thank goodness I didn't lose them again. Came close a couple times but it didn't happen. Got home and immediatly put a belt on. TIGHT! So now I'm LMAO but happy for my first VERY noticeable NSV!

I was banded on october 13th and had a very shar pain under my left ribs. Almost hurt to breath. Went to my surgeon and he said that he kind of tacked the tubing in place under there and it nay be causing some rubbing/inflammation and it should go away shortly. Yep 3 1/2 days later and it was better. Maybe that could be similar to yours? Hope it goes away soon.

That is awesome. However I don't think that stuffing my jeans in my jump bag will work. Patients might look at me funny. I'll get some new jeans this weekend for sure cuz I'm on call again next weekend and we don't need a repeat of the neighborhood flasher.

I was banded on 10-13 and have this same pain. The thing I figured out this weekend that helped a LOT for me was maalox and WAY smaller sips and bites. I still had this pain today when I took a big drink or to big of a bite but overall my day was 75 percent better. Hope that helps, I know your pain.

I was banded 10-13 and 6 days later I still couldn't get anything down (I had been admitted to the hospital 3 different times over those 6 days for dehydration). On the 6th day my dr. Finally took out my original fill. He had never had that happen either. He just figured it was all due to swelling. He took that fill out and INSTANTLY I was feeling better. Even he said wow the color just came back to your face. He said he could physically see the improvement in my health when I could finally breath and drink. So yeah at least we know what a fill/unfill feels like but now I'm scared of getting a fill in fear of not being able to drink again.

So I was banded on wednesday the 13th. This is my 6th surgery so its not like I can't handle the pain of incisions. I awoke with EXTREME pain behind my breastbone. I initially chalked it up to gas pain. Until the dr came in. He said that I have a major blood vessel that runs the top of my stomach where normally it is on the bottom of peoples stomachs. So that made him place the band a little higher and caused irritation to my esophagus. He said the swelling would go down soon and I could get a little fluid down. 12 hours after surgery I was sent home. Thursday the 14th I couldn't get anything down without bawling. So he had me come back down for a barium swallow. It revealed that I was having non stop esophegeal spasms. Dr admitted me gave me iv fluids and morphene. Pain went down from an 8 to a 3 so he sent me home at noon on friday the 15th. Since then its been about 32 hours and I am in so much pain again. I have thrown up over 7 times including blood. I can barely take a teaspoon of water and keep that down. I've called the dr twice and th er doctor just keeps saying well your esophagus is irritated keep sipping on stuff. I'm SERIOUSLY scared. I'm weak. Dehydrated. And in a LOT of pain that no one will listen to me about. Any ideas to help me get thru until monday when I can c the bariatric surgeon. Please someone help me.

I know for a fact that our pathologist has to keep one slice of every sample that he examines in storage for 10 years. Some law here. Maybe you could get ahold of the lab/pathologist that reviewed your biopsy and see if they have the smear/sample still and ask them to double check it. It'd be worth a shot.

I got home last night and had soup and Boost Glucose Control--it all stayed down!!! :smile: Still sore and tender but MUCH better. Now today I'm back to work. I hope I make it all day--I can see a nap in my future at lunch time.

Ok so I ended up throwing up and passing out at the local ER before they could discharge me and send me to the hospital 45 minutes away that covers bariatrics. Well then they realized I wasn't gonna make it that far so they gave me fluids 2 narcotics for pain. Nausea meds. Reflux meds and got me relaxed enough and hydrated enough to send me home for tHe night. Sunday I limited myself to 1/2 oz of gatorade at a time. Its all I could keep down. I left a couple of messages on my surgeons answering machine telling him that when they get in at 8am they NEED to call me. So this morning,monday they called at about 8:15 and I was admitted to the hospital by 9:30. Again severly dehydrated. Gave me meds for pain. But FINALLY listened to me. I told him I can't live like this. It sucks. Then he figured that MAYBE the starting fluid that comes in the band so that it is supposed to help mold to yyour body shape when healing probably needed to come out. Ran a bunch of other tests and BAM. There's the answer 4cc's had to come out I have esophagus spasms AND my xyphoid process/sternum is SEVERLY bruised beneath the surface from the retractor they used to hold my liver out of the way. Well taking out the 4cc's was enough to relieve the pressure that was causing some of the pain. Pretty much cleared up the spastic esophagus cuz now the liquid can go though. Just have to let the sternum heal naturally. Thanks for all the thoughts and I lived YAHOO. Seriously I thought I was on my last breath the other night. Thank u so much for your kind words and little push not to be ignored. Its been a long 5 days but I'm now on my way again to a wonderful new life. Thank u to each and everyone of u.

K so I'm at the local ER and they won't do anything because they no nothing about bariatrics. So I have to drive 45 minutes to the hospital that keeps ignoring me.

The closest dr is my bariatric dr 45 minutes away. The next closest is over 2 hours. I live in the middle of no where south dakota.

Sorry to highjack your thread but I don't know how to start a new one from my cell. I was banded on the 13th. I woke with extreme pain right behind my breastbone. The dr came in and said that I have a major blood vessel that goes to my liver on the top of my stomach where normally it is on the bottom. So in turn he had to place the band higher than normal but its ok. So wednesday night 12 hrs after surgery they let me go home. I could swallow a little liquid but it caused more pain. He said the swelling would go down. Well thursday the next day I couldn't get anything down without bawling. I have a very high pain tolorance. This is my 6th surgery. So they order a barium swallow and it reveals that I am having esophegeal spasms non stop cuz its so irritated. They admit me and get me iv fluids and morpheine. By friday at noon the pain is down from an 8 to a 3 so they send me home again. Now its saturday. Pain is back at an 8. I can't keep more than a teaspoon down. I've thrown up 7 times in 24 hrs. I've called the dr twice and all they say is the pain isn't going to go away until the irritation calms down. They said to keep sipping on stuff. They aren't listening -i can't keep it down. I've even thrown up blood. I'm scared and alone. And don't know what to do. I swear I am ready to rip this thing out myself. Please help!!!

I am a mother to twins. Twice over actually. Only one set made it. Lost the first set at 8 weeks but carried the girls to 30 weeks. In between the 2 pregnancies we had a son (that we used clomid for) that was stillborn. I wasn't banded when we were pregnant- I'm set to b banded the 13th so I can not say what type of influence that would have on pregnancy. We also used clomid to conceive the girls. The first set was natural but implanted in my tube. Honestly people that say they wish they could have twins bother me.... Just hope for one healthy child and if u get blessed with more than roll with it. Do not try to purposefully become pregnant with multiples. It is way more high risk and is harder on the body. From a mother who has held an angel and buried her child just count the blessings that u receive. Not trying to crush any dreams here just want you to realize the full picture that yes it can be accomplished at an older age with no problems but maybe u should just step back and hope for one healthy child before tricking nature and putting more stress on your body. Hope everything works out for u and your dreams of a large family.

So I was just wondering how many others were getting banded on the 13th. 1 week from today....holy crap am I getting excited! :thumbup: I have to be at the hospital by 6:30am and it's an hour drive there so I'll have an early morning. Surgery is set for 8am. Anyone else getting banded on Wednesday?

They say not to compare how much you lose on the pre-op diet against anyone else because everyone will lose weight at a different rate. I've had 5 surgeries before so I'm not so worried about that part of it. 4 of them however were on my stomach area so I'm VERY worried about scar tissue which I have a LOT of. Even the surgeon said, yes he can do it but I may end up with a few more incisions than the average person because of adhesions below the surface. I'm also having a tubal done at the same time so I for SURE will have 2 extra incisions from the OB doing that surgery for me. I figure get it all done while I'm under. :thumbup:

Technically 5 years. I attended a seminar in 2005. Our insurance didn't cover it and there was NO way I could've come up with it out of pocket. In Fall 2009 I switched to my husband's insurance because they covered it. In February 2010 My husbands employer switched insurance companys. So with the NEW insurance company I had a 6 month waiting period. Got that done, March thru August, filed in September and I will be banded October 13th. FINALLY!!! Although I won't truly believe that it is complete until I wake up and they say everything went FINE.

I Know that excitement, however I would not recommend doing cartwheels unless you are completly sure that you are physically capable. You don't want any broken bones to set back your surgery date. :thumbup: LOL. Congrats and Good Luck!

I know right......but it is so true! HaHa.... Just this past weekend someone said to me "You are actually excited to have surgery?".......UMMMM Yep, waited to dang long and went through to many insurance issues not to be EXCITED!! I thought the day that I recieved the phone call that I was approved was exciting. Nope the closer I get the more excited I am. :thumbup:

I was just hanging up clothes and thought of this thread... I look forward to not having to worry about which hangers I grab. I currently need to use the ones with the cut out area down each side cuz my shirts r to big that if I don't use that kind they just slip right off. Lol. Stupid I know but I just thought of it along with many other things I look forward to.